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Mayor’s Budget Shows $2 Million To Florissant’s Reserve Account
BY CAROL ARNETT
Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery presented his proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 to the city council at the last council meeting. The city’s fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30.
The mayor proposes a budget to the council. The council then holds work sessions and public hearings on the budget. The council, after making any changes, will vote on the approving the budget.
The $32.7 million budget consists of five main funds. Of these, the General Fund is the largest at $23.5 million. The Capital Improvement fund is budgeted at $5.2 million, the Park Improvement Fund at $3.1 million, the Home Equity Fund at $1,000, and the Sewer
Lateral Fund at $772,478.
The mayor’s budget would return $2 million to the reserve account. This is money set aside for emergency purposes and for years when it is needed by the city.
The proposed budget would grant a three percent pay raise to city employees. In his remarks to the council regarding the budget, Lowery addressed the pay raise. He said that, in light of the national financial situation, he wanted to be cautious.
“Employees should be satisfied with this increase as many people are not receiving any compensation in this economy and some are even losing their jobs,” Lowery told the council. The mayor’s salary will remain the same as 2008, when he was paid $135,746.
The General Fund receives revenue from taxes, license and permit fees, recreation fees, and other miscellaneous fees. The sales tax provides $7.5 million of the $23.5 million fund. The utility tax provides $4.4 million, the municipal court provides $2.2 million, and grants and reimbursements provide $4 million. The rest of the fund comes from such things as the theater, concession sales, gym rental, and interest income.
The largest expenditure in the General Fund is $10.3 million for the Police Department. Other big expenditures include $4.1 million for the Public Works Department, $2.7 million in Administrative fees, $1.7 million for the recreation centers, and $1.3 million for the parks department.
The largest expenditure in the Capital Improvement Fund is $3.2 for street contracts. The remainder of the $5.2 million fund goes to professional services, sidewalk repairs,
debt payment, and capital additions.
The mayor recommended that the council approve the budget for the city golf course, which is included in parks and recreation budget. “I have been working to restructure the management and to move forward because the golf course is an asset for the city.” The city was in the news recently when revenues were missing from the golf course.
The golf course manager and an assistant have been dismissed in the wake of an investigation being conducted by the Missouri Highway Patrol, as requested by the mayor.
Money from the Sewer Lateral Fund can only be used for items related to sewer lateral repair.
Money from the $3.1 million Park Improvement Fund, which is funded by a one-fourth percent sales tax, is being used for several park expenditures, including $120,000 for park employee salaries and benefits, $386,000 for utilities, and $605,000 for debt payment. $251,000 is being used for capital additions.
Lowery said the city will proceed with a $1.7 million beautification project on North Lindbergh, from Charbonier to Coldwater Creek. The city has received a grant reimbursement from East-West Gateway Council of Governments for $1,360,000. The first phase calls for streetlights, trees, sidewalks, and other landscaping.
The mayor also pointed out, in his budget address, that there is major restoration work being performed on North Lindbergh, from I-270 to New Halls Ferry Road. This includes new curbs and gutters, new driveway approaches, and an asphalt overlay for the entire stretch. The Missouri Department of Transportation will also add new right turn lanes at Patterson and Lindsey. The city received $4.5 million to help alleviate traffic problems in these two areas, Lowery noted.
